Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has directed the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to urgently finalise and submit to the Prime Minister an emergency action plan to implement the European Commission’s (EC) recommendations on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, in preparation for the EC’s fifth inspection mission.
Chairing the 17th meeting of the national steering committee on IUU fishing prevention on October 14, the Deputy PM underscored the need to complete a comprehensive, unified, and multipurpose national fisheries database to serve multiple agencies. He assigned Viettel to take the lead in developing a data management software model, while ministries, sectors, and localities were asked to closely coordinate and provide specific technical requirements for the system.
He also tasked the Ministry of National Defence with reviewing its forces and working closely with fisheries surveillance units to draft regulations on maritime law enforcement coordination, clearly defining control areas. The ministry will serve as the core force in patrolling, monitoring, and pursuing “ghost ships” and unregistered vessels.
The Ministry of Justice was instructed to promptly prepare and submit to the Government a draft decree amending Decree No. 38/2024/ND-CP on administrative penalties in the fisheries sector. The revised decree will expand the range of violations, raise fine levels, and broaden the enforcement authority of competent agencies. The Deputy PM requested tougher sanctions for vessels violating national sovereignty or repeatedly offending, while clearly defining the responsibilities of vessel owners and captains.
The Ministry of Science and Technology was assigned to lead efforts in applying satellite, network, and digital data technologies to build and enhance the national fisheries database system.
Provinces and cities were requested to review and assess all fishing ports, identify those meeting the required standards, and publicly announce them to fishermen. They are also required to assign vessels to specific ports according to registration areas to prevent uncontrolled entry and exit.
According to a report presented at the meeting, as of the 16th meeting on October 7, Vietnam had 80,884 active fishing vessels, an increase of 1,623 licensed vessels. A total of 27,990 out of 28,225 vessels have been equipped with vessel monitoring system (VMS) devices.
Law enforcement agencies have intensified patrols and strictly handled IUU violations such as VMS disconnection, boundary crossing, and incursions into foreign waters.
From 2024 to October 13, 2025, authorities have handled 26 vessels, took legal proceedings against eight, and are verifying 57 others, with four still under investigation. In total, 59 cases involving 96 defendants have been prosecuted, of which 29 cases involving 67 individuals have been brought to trial./.
